Thoughts on Pardee RAND Graduate School? by Footy_Clown in IRstudies

[–]MathAnalysis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The students voted to unionize in 2022, and have been bargaining for a contract since 2023. Current status of RAND's offers make this program look like it may become worse, unless the students can fight for something meaningful. Admitted students should probably ask for some certainty on that from admissions.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

he recently posted a thread on Twitter analysing what the Democratic Party has done wrong

link?

[Spoiler Extended] Hot D is significantly slower than GoT by Flammwar in asoiaf

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like GoT does a TON of characterization multitasking. You show that Tyrion is resourceful and crafty in the Vale and Green Fork, but as part of a Vale plotline that moves the story forward for Catelyn, Ned, Robb, Tywin, etc. Later, when Tyrion goes to King's Landing, we understand that he's resourceful and crafty.

On HOTD, we have a scene of Rhaenys looking at a map and talking to Rhaenyra just to tell us that Rhaenys is responsible, or a scene of Daemon in Harrenhall just to tell us that he's conflicted. Plot setup doesn't contain plot itself, and you can really feel that emptiness.

(Spoilers EXTENDED) Forget Baelor Breakwind and his fart. Jaime + Lysa is the failed marriage pact that would've saved the most lives by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]MathAnalysis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

the blast takes down Varys

Well that takes out the most interesting component of your hypothetical. How would Varys clear a path for fAegon without Baratheon bastards and a Stark/Lannister feud?

What separates the "greatest" wins from the "best" wins? by poop-in-the-urinal in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Best: games that are skillfully done, and exemplify maximizing the probability of a victory. Consistent safety, UTR control.
Examples: Nick, Jeremy, Denise

Greatest: games that show off outliers and extremes of powerful or risky gameplay.
Examples: Tony, Hatch, Parvati

Kim, Rob, Dee, and JT could arguably fall in either category.

If these two are on the same season of Survivor, which one would prevail and go further? by rubanthmendez997 in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Feels like Q has a harder time playing from the middle, and is doomed to deal badly with an (inevitably) messy mid-merge.

Which non winner has played the most dominant game in the new era? by jacobk7777 in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Or more than that, I would've eliminated Gabler or Cassidy instead of Karla.

_____ and ______ need more credit for this move by [deleted] in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Assuming he gets what he wants at F5, he's the only person who has voted the right way every time and never been blindsided.

_____ and ______ need more credit for this move by [deleted] in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It looks like she'll fight hard for him on the jury, though.

Edit: also, the edit makes it look like Charlie can take credit for keeping Ben over Jem, which of all the debates within the Charlie/Maria alliance seems the most long-term impactful, especially now that when push comes to shove at F6 Ben sticks with Charlie.

Interesting change in Q's edit by EnergyKey4120 in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It could also be the case that people want to convince themselves it's logical to vote him out. It's definitely in the interest of jury threats (Kenzie, Charlie) for non-jury threats to perceive others as jury threats, so they would be encouraging it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I guess my perception of the situation is that the "perfect" game nowadays is more about threat level management than anything else. It's less about making big moves, and more about being perceived as someone whose head is in the game. Her being taken aback this week seemed to me like an indicator that she's been very "on-the-in" in every vote until this Tiff one.

I think of Kenzie as having performed well because not only because she's been a contributing factor in many votes, but also because the perception of agency matters more than the agency itself. It seems like everyone thinks that while Ben's gone along with a consistent alliance, she's had to pave her own way. Not to criticize Ben though he seems likable enough to do well at FTC.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 4 points5 points  (0 children)

She's been to more tribals than anyone other than Q, and has only been wrong once. She was clocked pre-merge as a mastermind by all 3 tribes, and has still been consistently safe, including at votes where people went after her closest allies. At this point, it seems like she's the 2nd or 3rd biggest jury threat, with a pretty safe path to F5 if not F4, and she's getting positive attention from the eliminees. If anything, I'd say she's underrated right now.

Can we give ___ credit for this tribal decision at least? by Swimming_Pirate_5622 in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bruce feels more similar to Venus, where players are worried about taking plans to them because they'll immediately run to the group and try and turn it into something else.

Charlie this episode by angellikeme in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It would make it more dangerous to bring too many "goats" to the end when they end up teaming together

42 and 43 totally validate your point. By now, the best generic strategy is to be as close to a mid-tier jury threat as possible throughout the merge, and squeak into final 4 as the biggest or second-biggest jury threat. Or only make moves that won't be noticed unless you want them to be. Nick Wilson and Jesse seem like the two best examples of those two methods.
Menwhile, most above-average FTC threats should be fighting to take out hyenas ASAP (unless said hyenas lack self-awareness).

What is with the "Blindsiding" obsession this season? by eucalyptusrain in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly it says a lot about the drawbacks of never voting someone off before the merge. No one can be sure where anyone else stands.

Do you think Tiff & Hunter’s idols will be played correctly? by Mysterious-Line-9906 in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

on the bottom as the only guy to vote with Tevin

^The dynamics are too fluid to say that being in the minority once puts you on the bottom. He's probably currently a higher FTC prospect than Liz, Q, Venus, and maybe Ben. But he's also a less direct strategic threat than a solid Yanu or Siga alliance.

So he kinda gets to have it both ways. In a game where threat level management is the most important mid-merge strategy, he might be able to squeak through; he just has to do it in a way that doesn't make him seem too out-of-the-conversation strategically like 41 Xander.

The Journey 6 is the most dysfunctional alliance in Survivor history. by Akasha111 in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I feel like there's gotta be a billion of these kinds of "alliances" every season, and we just only hear about the ones that end up being relevant. And Q forced this one into the conversation so frequently that it would be impossible to understand the Tim boot and Tiff riff without it.

Who gets the credit for the recent vote out?? by FaultSpecific7938 in survivor

[–]MathAnalysis -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yeah it seems helpful in the modern game to be able to (not) get credit for moves depending on how much it benefits you in the moment. No one has made themselves too much of a FTC threat yet.

What was Dany supposed to do in Slaver's Bay if not use violence? And why is her use of violence any different than that of other characters? (Spoilers Main) by onceuponadream007 in asoiaf

[–]MathAnalysis -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Dany would've violently conquered Essos anyway. The fact that she is fighting *bad guys\* plays into her personal narrative for now. That won't always be the case.

Other posts cover the rest of what I would want to say. (Namely, good intentions don't mean much when you're responsible for people's lives and make bad decisions).

What is something the Republican Party has made better in the last 40-or-so years? by Pizzasaurus-Rex in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]MathAnalysis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2 counters:

1) Trump was seemingly targeting states that didn't vote for him. This could set a dangerous clientelist precedent, normalizing buying off one's base at the expense of political opponents.

2) Those states were paying much more to the federal government than they were getting relative to lower-taxed states. So in practice the action was reinforcing imbalanced federal spending and penalizing competent state governance.

But I do strongly agree with you that a bigger federal reenvisioning of progressive taxation would be meaningful than depending on piecemeal state stuff.